Wood & Iron: For Loggers. By Loggers.

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In part two of their conversation, California logging contractors Delbert Gannon of Creekside Logging and professional forester Ted James of Battle Creek Timber share what they’ve learned from decades in the industry and how wildfires are changing the way they work. They talk about the challenges and costs of logging burned timber, the growing role of loggers in fire suppression, and why proactive forest management matters. They also discuss training programs that are helping bring new people into the industry and prepare the next generation of loggers.

GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE

Delbert Gannon of Creekside Logging has worked in the industry since 1990, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Over the course of his career, he has become a respected leader in California forestry, with a strong commitment to training the next generation of loggers and equipment operators. He serves on advisory boards for Shasta College’s Heavy Equipment Logging Operations and Maintenance (HELO) and California Registered Apprenticeship Forest Training (CRAFT) workforce development programs and helps teach equipment cross-training courses for forestry workers. Gannon is a past president of the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference and remains active on its executive committee. He is also involved in career and technical education programs that connect students with opportunities in the forest products industry. 

Ted James of Battle Creek Timber is a Registered Professional Forester with more than four decades of experience in California forestry. After earning degrees from College of the Redwoods and Northern Arizona University, he spent 35 years with Sierra Pacific Industries, where he managed timberlands, forestry operations, harvesting, reforestation, road systems, and resource protection programs across more than 145,000 acres.

Following his retirement from SPI, Ted served as Director of Forest Health at Shasta College, helping develop forestry and workforce training programs. He now serves as Forestry Operations Manager for Battle Creek Timber, overseeing logging operations on both public and private lands.

Ted has long been active in forestry education and industry leadership. He is a past president of the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference and continues to serve on industry and educational advisory committees focused on developing the next generation of forestry professionals. 

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Freddy and Grant Tidwell of F & C Logging in Alabama share their family’s multi-generational logging story, from cable skidders and hardwood stands to modern pine plantation thinning. They discuss evolving equipment and technology, workforce development through ForestryWorks, advocacy with the American Loggers Council, and the challenges facing loggers, landowners, and the timber industry across the South. They also share why educating the next generation and telling the logging industry’s story has never been more important. 

GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE

Freddy Tidwell, F & C Logging

"I’m Freddy Tidwell, a proud third-generation logger with 60 years of life experience and a lifelong passion for the timber industry. Logging isn’t just a career to me. It’s a way of life that has been passed down through my family, and I’m proud to continue that tradition.

"After spending more than 10 years in business alongside my dad and brothers, my wife and I took a leap of faith and started our own logging company in 1993. Building that business together has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. It has allowed us to continue our family’s logging heritage while creating opportunities for future generations.

"I’ve been blessed with a wonderful wife, two children, and two granddaughters, with an especially exciting addition on the way. We’re looking forward to welcoming our third grandchild in late September, and I’m proud to say, my first grandson! When I’m not working, I enjoy traveling and spending time with my family. Family is at the heart of everything I do, and I’m grateful for every opportunity to make memories with them.

"I’m also very active in serving and advocating for the logging community. I currently serve on seven boards for the Alabama Forestry Association and am proud to serve as Chairman of the Alabama Loggers Council. On October 1st, I will have the honor of taking over as President of the American Loggers Council.

"Being involved in the industry and having the opportunity to speak up for fellow loggers is something I’m deeply passionate about. I believe in supporting our loggers, protecting the future of our industry, and making sure the voices of the men and women who work in the woods are heard.

"I’m proud of where I come from, proud of the logging heritage I represent, and excited about what the future holds, not only for my family, but for the logging industry I love."

Grant Tidwell, Generations Timber

"My name is Grant Tidwell, and I am 26 years old, and am a devoted Christian man that attempts to live by the Bible standard everyday. I have lived in Double Springs, AL for my entire life and have deep ties and roots in this community and with this land. My wife and I are expecting our first son in September of this year and couldn’t be more excited. I am an avid turkey hunter and absolutely love anything to do with the outdoors in any way.

"I grew up in a family ran logging business, which I continue to do today. I am a fourth generation logger (which I say with pride), and have all the intentions of carrying that legacy until I physically can’t anymore.

"My career in this industry started before I had the capabilities to actually remember anything. I have literally never known another lifestyle other than logging. My dad (Freddy) would leave for work and I remember having an absolute meltdown wanting to go to the woods with him. In the spring of 2011 my dream came true when one of Freddy’s skidder operators quit 2 weeks before the summer to end my 6th grade year. He skidded himself for those two weeks, and once summer vacation got out, I went to work with the main crew. Every summer, and every holiday break, from that point, until I graduated, I could be found in the woods. I enjoyed every minute of it. From graduation I planned on getting my general studies done at Wallace State Community college in Hanceville, and continuing on to Auburn with a buddy of mine to get my degree in forestry, then move back home and help run the family business. That plan lasted a whole 3 months. During my college classes I was absolutely miserable and all I could think about was what I should be doing in the woods. So right before my semester exams I dropped out and went to work with my dad. My mother (Cyndi) was not happy at all about my new found plan. Against her better judgment, I went headfirst into the log woods. Working side by side and directly under Freddy for the next 4 years. I had seen the opportunity to expand and diversify in the spring of 2021 and started my business, Generations Timber. I started out doing small excavation and small clearings for locals around Double Springs during the weekends and continued to work with my dad during the week. I used a 1977 Chevy C60 (bob truck) to haul what trees I cleared to local sawmills. I did that for right at a year and then had the opportunity to buy out his second crew, in 2022, which is the one I was already running. The rest is history, and now it has been a 5 short years since I started Generations Timber. I have been blessed beyond words to get to do something that I am hopelessly obsessed with, right along side my family. I hope that get this industry and my business is still here for my son to grow up with the love and obsession that I’ve had for it."

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Delbert Gannon of Creekside Logging and professional forester Ted James of Battle Creek Timber join Wood & Iron to talk about logging in Northern California. They share how they got started, what it takes to work under California’s strict forestry rules, and why strong relationships between loggers and foresters matter. They also talk about getting students and teachers into the woods and telling the real story of modern logging. 

GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE

Delbert Gannon of Creekside Logging has worked in the industry since 1990, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Over the course of his career, he has become a respected leader in California forestry, with a strong commitment to training the next generation of loggers and equipment operators. He serves on advisory boards for Shasta College’s Heavy Equipment Logging Operations and Maintenance (HELO) and California Registered Apprenticeship Forest Training (CRAFT) workforce development programs and helps teach equipment cross-training courses for forestry workers. Gannon is a past president of the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference and remains active on its executive committee. He is also involved in career and technical education programs that connect students with opportunities in the forest products industry. 

Ted James of Battle Creek Timber is a Registered Professional Forester with more than four decades of experience in California forestry. After earning degrees from College of the Redwoods and Northern Arizona University, he spent 35 years with Sierra Pacific Industries, where he managed timberlands, forestry operations, harvesting, reforestation, road systems, and resource protection programs across more than 145,000 acres.

Following his retirement from SPI, Ted served as Director of Forest Health at Shasta College, helping develop forestry and workforce training programs. He now serves as Forestry Operations Manager for Battle Creek Timber, overseeing logging operations on both public and private lands.

Ted has long been active in forestry education and industry leadership. He is a past president of the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference and continues to serve on industry and educational advisory committees focused on developing the next generation of forestry professionals. 

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What does it take to grow a logging business from a chainsaw and skidder into a modern cut-to-length operation? In this episode of Wood & Iron, Jim Wilson of Wilson Forestry joins us live from the cab to share his journey from forestry graduate to business owner. He discusses the importance of management, merchandising, and making the most of every tree in today's challenging markets.

Jim also shares lessons learned from growing his company, investing in equipment, training the next generation of operators, and why combining forestry knowledge with hands-on logging experience is key to the future of sustainable forest management.

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Ken Swanstrom of Skookum Logging joins the podcast to talk about nearly 50 years in Montana’s logging industry. From getting his start on the landing in the 1970s to running his own operation, Ken shares stories from a lifetime in the woods and offers his perspective on how Montana forestry has changed over the decades. The conversation covers shrinking timber harvests, mill closures, forest health, wildfire risk, and the ongoing challenge of keeping logging infrastructure alive while managing forests for future generations. 

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In this episode of Wood & Iron, Oregon logger and Associated Oregon Loggers president Jeff Plikat shares stories from a lifetime in the woods, from learning the trade as a kid to running high-tech tether logging operations and leading advocacy efforts for the timber industry. Blake, Jared, and Jeff dig into the realities of modern logging—equipment costs, workforce challenges, safety, and why taking care of good people is the key to keeping the industry strong.

Jeff Plikat Bio:
Jeff Plikat calls himself a small-town, family man, born and raised on timber dollars. As a kid, he always knew he would be a logger when he grew up. Jeff started working weekends cleaning ditches and mud out of the tracks of the equipment. He’s been working for the company since 1998. Jeff has been married to his beautiful and loving wife for 12 years. They have 3 girls and 1 boy. Together, with Jeff’s dad, who started the company in 1979 and his sister, they employ 65-70 people at Plikat Logging in Roseburg, Oregon. They log, have 16 log trucks, and 4 lowboy trucks. The family works year round and enjoys summer weekends at their family cabins at Diamond Lake in the Cascades.  

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In this episode, we explore how to navigate a smooth generational transition in a family business with Roger Smith of R.L. Smith Logging. Hear practical insights on passing down leadership, preserving legacy, and preparing the next generation. Plus, we discuss how to get students excited about careers in the logging industry and keep the tradition moving forward.

Wood & Iron is a podcast that explores the needs and challenges of today’s logger. Join our hosts as they explores business operation, policy navigation, and the future of logging with loggers from the Midwest to the West. The goal of Wood & Iron is to promote a successful and sustainable logging workforce in our forested states by offering relevant and timely information that you can listen to during your time in the cab.

Produced by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Forestry Center and is hosted by WFC’s High School Program Manager Jared Schroeder and Manley Jobs host and WFCA executive director Blake Manley. Wood & Iron is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, and many other platforms.

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Join us as we discuss the essential skills of resiliency, respect, and a strong work-ethic necessary for ensuring economic viability and longevity with Jody Hendrickx of Hendrickx Logging. 

Wood & Iron is a podcast that explores the needs and challenges of today’s logger. Join our hosts as they explores business operation, policy navigation, and the future of logging with loggers from the Midwest to the West. The goal of Wood & Iron is to promote a successful and sustainable logging workforce in our forested states by offering relevant and timely information that you can listen to during your time in the cab.

Produced by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Forestry Center and is hosted by WFC’s High School Program Manager Jared Schroeder and Manley Jobs host and WFCA executive director Blake Manley. Wood & Iron is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, and many other platforms.

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Join us as we talk with consulting forester and owner-operator Matt Carothers of Superior Woodlands Company, LLC. We discuss the challenges he faced and opportunities he embraced throughout the start-up, growth, and maintenance of his company.

Matt Carothers is a husband, father, and consulting forester from Hazelhurst, WI. As owner-operator of Superior Woodlands Company, LLC he advises families, small businesses, and conservation organizations on long-term forestry rooted in his lived experiences with the struggles and successes of land ownership. Matt is an ACF credentialed forester, an American Tree Farmer, a FISTA-trained woods worker, and an MBA graduate sharing his passion for forestry with students, retirees, and everyone in between. 

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Wood & Iron is a podcast that explores the needs and challenges of today’s logger. Join our host, Blake Manley, Executive Director of the Western Forestry and Conservation Association (WFCA) as he explores business operation, policy navigation, and the future of logging with loggers from the Midwest to the West. The goal of Wood & Iron is to promote a successful and sustainable logging workforce in our forested states by offering relevant and timely information that you can listen to during your time in the cab.